


The Scarlet Door

by Tokahia



Category: Mystery - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:07:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29374320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tokahia/pseuds/Tokahia
Summary: This is an original Murder Mystery story. At times it will be graphic and deal with heavy themes.





	1. Chapter 1

Stop me if you've heard this one before. A sleepy town on the edge of nowhere shaken to its very core when a body is discovered. Twin Peaks, Riverdale, Dorset, and now the sleepy town of Nevermore. Of course that would be the case if those other three I had mentioned were real towns.

Though if you were to look at a map, you would see three different Riverdale; in Utah, Illinois, and Georgia. However what you won't find is the town of Nevermore. You see here in Nevermore not only is it a small town, but everyone leaves their doors unlocked.

At least they did until the remains of Brad Barlow was discovered in the woods, on the morning of October 28, just three days before Halloween. The Sheriff would receive a frantic phonecall about a body.

The town of Nevermore had been a sleepy town where the worst offence had been forgetting to bring a pie for the contest at the local fair three years ago. Even then the offender in that case, was given the very harsh sentence of heading home to retrieve her signature dish.

Not exactly what I would call doing hard time, but I digress. The Sheriff of Nevermore quickly arrived to secure the scene, but even with the crime scene taped off, word got around town fast. The citizens of Nevermore whispered hushed words about the victim, who wouldn't be identified until hours later.

The body would be taken to the morgue by the coroner, and there, Brad's parents would meet their worst fear. The tragedy would weigh heavy on the Barlow family, and the town would never be the same again. Though to understand how we got here, and how Brad's murder would be solved by Christmas, we should back up.

First question probably weighing on your minds is who am I? I'm not just the mere narrator of this story. I do have a name, Eric DeLeon. I didn't know the victim, and I wouldn't know him until after his death.

The next question you are probably asking is how did I come to be involved in a small town murder case? That will come in due time, like I said I wouldn't know the victim until after his death.

August thirty-first was like any other day in Nevermore. Summer was winding down, children were getting ready for classes. The sun cut through the thick trees that surrounded the town bathing it in a slight glow.

A lone jogger took her early morning run through the forest. As she ran, her brown ponytail swayed with each step. Resting in her ears were some earbuds playing tranquil music. On her run, she would run close to the local river, and even cross the bridge that lead further into the woods.

Elsewhere in town, the twenty-four hour diner would be switching out their late night menus for the breakfast menus. Soon the waitress would change shifts, and the waitress coming in for her morning shift would make sure to grab a quick coffee before actually working. 

The rest of the town would start their day as the sun started to rise, students would grumble about being in class instead of claiming more of their summer, and for some they would be thinking about what dinner should be even before having breakfast.

Brad would be with his highschool sweetheart in the early morning before classes started. She would steal a kiss from him before homeroom, and throughout the day they would exchange notes in the hallway. In the afternoon Brad would be hanging out with some friends while waiting for Laura to finish cheerleading practice.

As for me, I would be currently riding from Quantico, Virginia to Seattle, Washington by motorcycle. Of course how I came to be in Nevermore, and how I got attached to the case are two different things.

See on a good day going from Quantico to Seattle is about a few days ride if you take it slow, which I did. If I had clear roads, and went well above the speed limit it would take a little over a day. Unfortunately I'm not the world's fastest man alive, and even he is a comic book character.

Once in Seattle, I would stay to solve a case before heading back out east. I wouldn't arrive in Nevermore until October Thirtieth. A whole day before Halloween, and two days before another body would be discovered in the woods on November first.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello! Earth to Lily!" A voice rang out. "Hey!" The female voice said snapping her fingers in front of the other woman. 

"Huh?" Lily asked as she snapped back to reality. The sounds of people chatting filled the room, and her eyes focused on the woman in front of her. 

"Customers. You have a job to do." The woman said with a firm tone.

"Right sorry Julie." Lily said as she pulled her brown hair back into a ponytail.

"Don't be sorry, go fill people's orders." Julie said as she pointed at the crowd. Lily nodded and grabbed her note pad and walked off to fill orders. Julie stayed behind the counter and filled orders of people at the breakfast bar.

Stepping into the back, Julie let out a heavy sigh. "Rough out there?" The cook asked. Looking over she smiled at the man by the stove. 

"Lily is a nice girl and all, but so help me she daydreams way to much." Julie said as she brushed a strand of black hair from her face. 

"Yeah, but she does phenomenal work when she isn't daydreaming." The cook said with a chuckle.

"I know Kevin, it's just I wish she would pay attention more when we are swamped. Speaking of wich do you have those orders ready to go?" Julie asked.

"Perfection takes time, but yes, I've got three done, working on the fourth." Kevin said with a chuckle. He smiled at Julie and pointed out the made plates with his spatula. 

"Thank you so much. I know you had the day off, but thank you for coming in." She said as she moved to get the plates.

"No problem. I know you wouldn't of asked me to come in if it wasn't important." He said. "Now shoo before that gets cold." He added. Julie chuckled as she picked up the plates.

"Whoa!" Lily said dancing out of the way of Julie while holding a stack of dirty plates. Stepping out of the way, she held the door open for a second before slipping into the kitchen.

"Julie just took orders out and I'm working on others." Kevin said without looking up.

"I know, I nearly ran into her." She said. "Also not why I'm in here." Lily added. Crossing the kitchen to the sink. Putting the dishes in, she turned on the water to start cleaning.

"Everything okay Lily? Julie says you spaced out again." He said as he looked over.

"Yes everything is fine Kevin. Besides isn't today your day off?" She asked looking over her shoulder. He smiled at her and shrugged. 

"Afternoon cook flaked today from the way Julie told it." He replied as he fixed up the next order on to a plate. 

"Really? Pete flaked? That's not like him." Lily said. She grabbed some dishsoap and used it on a plate before scrubbing it with a sponge.

"That's what I was told. Granted I don't by that for a moment. He usually is reliable." Kevin said.

"If you two are done gossiping, I could use a hand out here." Julie said as she leaned through the order window. "Today Lily." She added before stepping away.

"Duty calls I guess." Lily joked as she finished cleaning the plate she had.

"I'll get the rest cleaned, just go help Julie." Kevin said. Lily dried off her hands and stepped out to the main restaurant. 

"Go refill people's drinks please." Julie said trying to sound nicer than she had been. Giving a nod, Lily grabbed the coffee pot and a pitcher of water. Watching her fellow waitress refill drinks, she let out a soft sigh before smiling at the person at the cash register.

"One moment sir. We are a little swamped today." Julie said to the man.

"It's quite alright miss." He said as he waited. Stepping over to the register, she looked at him and took his check and looked it over to ring it up. 

"I hope it was to your liking sir." Julie said being polite to the older man.

"It was quite good." He replied as he dug out cash to pay. Taking the money, she did a quick few punches into the register before fishing out the owed money. "Have a lovely day." He said with a smile before leaving.

"Same to you sir!" Julie said. She looked up at the clock on the wall and hoped that it would magically jump to when she could clock out. As the hours dragged on, Julie got more and more exhausted.

The diner started to quiet down around five, and Julie felt a huge weight lift off of her. She watched as Lily vanished back into the kitchen.

As she stepped into the kitchen with more dishes, she headed back to the sink to clean. "Rough out there?" He asked. Lily jumped a bit forgetting he was there. "Hey, it's just me." He said reassuringly.

"Sorry Kevin." Lily apologized. "Just forgot you were there." She said. 

"So rough day." He said. Lily nodded as she started to clean the dishes. "Rude customer?" Kevin asked.

"A trucker. Everything is fine, just really wanted to pour hot coffee in his lap for some of the shit he was talking." Lily said.

"Ouch. I'm surprised anyone could get you that angry." Kevin said.

"Hold up, Lily did something happen?" Julie asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you be out there Julie?" Kevin asked.

"It's dead out there at the moment." She replied. "Lily, you can talk to us you know." Julie said.

"It's okay really. He was just spouting off some homophobic stuff, and while it pissed me off, I'm not going to do anything to risk him getting angry." Lily said.

"Shit, had I known I would of tripled his check." Julie said. "If it happens again, tell me right away and I'll take over. I promise." She said.

"I didn't want to pile that on you. Besides he was just passing through and we might never see him again." Lily said. "So while it pissed me off, it was a rare occurrence." She added as she grabbed the dishsoap.

"Hopefully he took the town name to heart and vows to never return." Kevin joked as he sat back. 

"Real funny Kevin." Julie said rolling her eyes. "Lily, seriously don't worry about piling on next time. I don't want you to be around customers who are disrespectful." She said.

"Just kind of figured you were mad at me, and didn't want to upset you further." Lily replied.

"What gave you that idea?" Julie asked.

"You were rather snappy." Kevin said. Julie shot him a glare. "And with that I'm gonna make sure we have food for graveyard shift." He said holding up his hands as he walked away. 

"Kevin's right. You were snappy today." Lily said. Julie crossed over to the sink and stood next to Lily.

"You spaced out during a busy time, and I was stressed. So I apologize for being snappy. You are still a valued employee, and you don't need a customer being rude to you." She said as she offered to take a plate from Lily.

"I was caught up in thinking about something for my parents." Lily admitted. "I'm sorry for spacing out." She said as she handed over a plate.

"Lily, you're twenty-seven, what could you possibly be thinking about for your parents?" Julie asked.

"I was thinking about saving up and gifting them like a vacation cruise." Lily said. "I mean I would also probably need time off to watch my younger siblings, but Ollie could probably help me watch the other three." She said.

"That's quite the thought." Julie said. She was about to continue when the bell chimed. "One second." She said as she stepped away. As she stepped out of the kitchen drying her hands, she looked at the front door.

"Shift change is here, and you look like you've been busy." The woman said as she approached the counter. 

"Essie! Well that means I can clock out soon." Julie said. Once again she brushed the black strand of hair out of her face as she looked at the woman before her.

"Just me and Kevin tonight right?" Essie asked.

"Yeah he is in the kitchen making sure all the food is prepped, but just so you know, he as been here since afternoon shift started." Julie explained.

"Wasn't Pete on afternoon shift?" She asked.

"Yeah but he was a no show." Julie replied. "Lily is also here, but don't know if she is staying for nightshift." She added.

"Well I'll just set my stuff down in the back and we can do the shift change." Essie said as she stepped into the kitchen. "Hey Lily!" She said as soon as she saw her.

"Hey Essie. Shift change already?" She asked looking over her shoulder. Kevin walked past with some food to prepare.

"Hey Kevin, and yeah. Are you staying tonight? Julie said you might." Essie said.

"Uhm.. I can. I'll need to break for food, but if you need me I can stay." Lily said as she dried off her hands. "Otherwise I'm heading home to crash. My feet are killing me." She said.

"Go home. Kevin and I have got nightshift down." Essie said as she put her stuff down.

"If you two need help, call me." Julie said as she stepped into the back. Essie smiled at her and looked at Lily. "Seriously I'll come back if you feel you need the help." Julie said.

"I think we will be fine. Besides, you two need rest, and while I would send Kevin home, I can't unless Pete or Howard show up." Essie said. 

"Howard only likes morning shift. You know that. Besides, I'm good. I can stay up." Kevin said. "Besides I've got to get my spooks in when there are no customers." He joked.

"Phone call away." Julie said to Essie before gathering her stuff. "Off to sleep, and hopefully to a day off." She joked before leaving.

"I should head out as well, just like Julie if you need me, phone call away." Lily said. 

"Go sleep, and eat." Essie said as she followed Lily back into the diner. She waved goodbye to Lily before letting out a sigh. Watching the clock, she knew it was going to be a long shift.

As the hours ticked away, Kevin stepped out of the kitchen to mop the floor. Essie stood behind the breakfast bar looking bored. "Did I ever tell you the tale of the Hash slinging slasher?" Kevin asked with a smirk.

"You do know that I watched that cartoon?" Essie asked with a smile of her own. Kevin chuckled at her as he mopped. The bell chimed around nine thirty, and they turned to look at the lone customer. "Please take a seat anywhere and I'll be with you in just a moment." Essie said. 

The customer nodded and walked to an out of the way booth in the back. Essie looked over at Kevin, who nodded at her and went back to mopping. Essie walked over and got a better look at the man who stepped in.

She noticed he looked like a highschooler. "So what can I get you?" Essie asked. The man's foot bounced as if he was anxious, and he was staring out the window for a second. "Anything to drink?" She asked.

He snapped out of his trance and looked at her. "Water." He said before running a hand through his short blonde hair. "and a burger." He added.

"Anything you want on your burger?" Essie asked. Once again he seemed to be staring off in the distance. 

"Uh.... Onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and bacon." He said sounding frazzled. Essie jotted down everything. 

"Anything else?" She asked him.

"No that's it." The man said before staring out the window again.

"It will be out in just a moment." Essie said as she walked back to the counter to get the pitcher of water. She looked over at Kevin and he shrugged at her. Soon he made his way back into the kitchen to start cooking.

Essie returned to the customer and poured his glass of water. "Everything okay?" She asked. He looked over at her and stared at her for a second.

"Everything's fine." He said curtly. Essie nodded and stepped away. "Burger should be done in a bit." She said.

"Thanks..." He muttered before looking back out the window. His foot bounced faster before he looked up at the clock. Kevin tapped the bell to say the order was ready, the customer jumped as if it were a gunshot. 

Grabbing the plate, Essie walked over and put it in front of him. "Here you are sir. You need anything just say so." She said with a warm smile. He nodded but avoided eye contact. Walking back behind the counter, Essie walked up to the order window.

"Everything okay up there?" Kevin asked. She looked over her shoulder for a second before looking back at the cook.

"Hey mind if I step out back to make a few phone calls?" She asked 

"Just give me a second to get back to mopping and you can go make those calls." He replied before stepping away from the stove. Kevin stepped back out to mop the floor and nodded at Essie.

Returning the nod, she stepped into the back and grabbed her cellphone before stepping out the back door of the diner. The screen stung her eyes in the darkness. September tenth stared up at Essie, as well as the time; ten o'clock.

Soon her eyes adjusted as she scrolled through her contacts. Stopping on one contact, she pressed the call button and held the phone up to her ear. Hearing the familiar voicemail message, she let out a heavy sigh. "Hey brother. It's Essie. Was just checking to see how you doing. Guessing you're a little busy at the moment, or probably asleep." She said.

"Wanted to get your opinion on something, but it's not important. Call me back when you can. Love you. Talk to you soon. Hopefully." Essie said before hanging up the phone. Letting out another sigh, she scrolled to Julie's number.

She let it ring, and was about to hang up when she heard a groggy hello. "Hey.. so sorry to wake you." Essie apologized. "What? No no there is one customer at the moment. Kevin is watching him. Just um... I don't know something about him isn't sitting right. He keeps staring out the window and bouncing his foot like he is expecting something." She explained.

"It's possible that Kevin's stories are just freaking me out and it's nothing. No, no I don't need you to come in. I know you're willing to, but it's fine seriously." Essie said. "Go back to sleep, I'm sorry for waking you up. Okay... Fine I'll see you in a few then. I'll let Kevin know." She said. "Okay bye." She finally said before hanging up.

Running her hand through her short black hair, Essie stepped back inside and back out of the kitchen. Kevin, looked up and saw her but went back to mopping.

The customer stood up and walked to the cash register. "Thanks for the meal." He said as he dug out his wallet. Essie smiled and rung up his order. 

"Hopefully it was to your liking." Essie said.

"Yeah... It was good. Thanks." He said as he grabbed a few dollars from his wallet. Essie spied a Nevermore High School I.D. in his wallet, but couldn't see his name.

"Nevermore High School huh?" She asked trying to strike a conversation. 

"Huh? Oh yeah. Yeah. I should be going." He said as he paid. "Keep the change." He added before leaving. Putting the cash away, she heard the bell chime as the door open before it closed. Kevin walked over and looked at her.

"I swear if I woke Julie up because of some joke you're playing on me, I will kick your ass." Essie said pointing at him.

"Whoa! I had nothing to do with that. I promise I only tell very fake stories. That seemed way to... Real." Kevin said. 

"Well Julie is on her way." Essie said. Kevin grabbed a wet floor sign and put it down. A few minutes later the door opened and they both looked over.

"What the hell did you do to freak her out?" Julie asked sounding like an angry mother bear.

"I promise I did nothing this time. The customer did all the spooking not me. I swear!" Kevin said holding up his hands. Julie glared at him firmly. "I didn't do it." He said.

"Right well I'm her now so no spooky stories." Julie said as she crossed the diner to clock in. "Are you okay? Can you describe this customer? Was he like a trucker?" She asked.

"High school student. Blonde hair, green eyes." Essie said.

"Anything else?" She asked.

"Seemed to be watching outside and looked nervous. That's it. Other then that, water and a pretty big burger." She replied to Julie. Essie gave out a small squeak as Julie hugged her tight. "Well this certainly is awkward." She commented.

"You needed a hug and if you two tell anyone I was nice, I will disavow you faster than MI6 disavows Ethan Hunt." Julie said sharply.

"You watch Mission Impossible?" Kevin asked with a smirk. She rolled her eyes at him before pointing at the table where the customer had been.

"Don't you have a table to clean?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am." Kevin said with a chuckle as he moved to clear the table. Essie smiled at Julie and leaned against the counter.

"Thanks for coming. I know I would of rather you go back to sleep, but it's nice." Essie said.

"We look out for each other. So as much as I would rather be asleep, I'm not going to let you stay freaked out over something." Julie said. "So I'm here for the rest of the shift." She added. Essie smiled at Julie and patted her on the arm. 

"Again thanks for this." She said. "I'm gonna go put my phone back with my stuff and be right back out." Essie said. 

"Keep it. It's not like we have customers, and I'm not going to write you up over it." Julie said. "Just in case things get any spookier." She added.

"Don't put that out there please." Essie said.

"Didn't know you were superstitious." Kevin said from the kitchen.

"I'm not superstitious. If I was, I wouldn't of moved to a place called Nevermore." Essie said. "Besides I've got two people I trust here, I just want my uneventful night shift to be just that. Uneventful." She said. 

Fortune would shine brightly on the three for the rest of the night. By the morning, Lily would return for her morning shift, and Howard would take over the kitchen. The three would go their separate ways to rest from the small fright that fueled paranoia and adrenaline in them all night.


End file.
